Solar power systems include optical components that operate to concentrate solar energy onto photovoltaic cells. The photovoltaic cells collect the solar energy and convert the solar energy into electric current.
Existing solar power systems can be expensive and limited in structure. Certain solar power systems may protect the optical components by enclosing the optical components with aluminum frames, which can be expensive. Some other solar power systems may use glass to protect the optical components but the physical configuration of glass is generally limited since glass cannot be easily molded into different shapes.
The structure of existing solar power systems can also restrict the assembly process. Solar power systems generally include an array of optical components and each optical component corresponds to at least one photovoltaic cell. The distance between each photovoltaic cell within the array of photovoltaic cells and the distance between each optical component within the array of optical components are generally predefined so that variations at assembly are not possible. As a result, any shrinkage of an optical component or error in positioning of a photovoltaic cell can lead to misalignment between most, if not all, of the optical components and the respective photovoltaic cells.
Solar power systems that are more cost-effective and simpler to manufacture are needed. These solar power systems should also be versatile in design so that they can also be adapted as illumination devices.